Symbolism In Beowulf

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For many centuries, Literature critics have constantly debated on whether it was more inspired by Pagan or Christian beliefs. These said critics have constantly been trying to differentiate between the symbolism used to describe the Pagan symbols and Christian symbols within the halls of Horathgar and the Castle lived in by the King of the Geats. These symbols can be argued to symbolize Pagan or Christian symbolism due to the fact that they can either describe the beliefs of Pagan or Christians. These include but don’t exclude; the heroic might of an epic hero, being portrayed as a Christian or Pagan hero. Examples of Pagan beliefs will include the following of Wyrd the Pagan belief in fate. Examples of Christianity will be Beowulf’s dislike …show more content…

The king of the Geats, Beowulf is portrayed as the son of a great military leader who is respected and well known for his and his father’s valor in battle. The tale of Beowulf in a race with a man from another country in the ocean is one of Beowulf’s personal victories against a creature that is clearly unable to be taken down by a single man. The seas creatures were attacking Beowulf and yet he still slew them; however he lost the race for the other man continued leaving Beowulf to the sea monsters. This just enunciates the fact that Beowulf is a clear and set epic hero. The traits of an epic hero can be aligned with a figure of faith within either Pagan or Christian belief. The creatures could be seen as the sins that keep man-kind from living a full and sin free life, these creatures (sins) that stopped Beowulf from winning the race (a sin free life), this could easily be a representation of the temptations of everyday life only expressed in a more grotesque and terrifying form. The creatures are terrifying yet are beat able. Beowulf’s strength could be represented as faith, for those with strong faith could possibly overcome these temptations that haunt everyday men and women. The faith to overcome the challenges of temptation is a religious belief that sins are a manifestation of the devils ability to coerce you into the wrong path, sending yourself to him, rather than to god. This belief generally is not followed strictly simply because man has decided not to because we are mortal and what point would we have these thing if the religion people follow cause you to lead a less fulfilling life. Religious people argue that faith creates a fulfilling life, yet there are so many thing that a single person could complete before their time comes. The progression of Christianity and Pagan beliefs within Beowulf are contradictory of modern belief

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